MOUNT RAINIER – After weeks of clearing snow, the Washington State Department of Transportation will reopen State Route 410 Chinook Pass at noon on Friday, May 23.

Chinook Pass will reopen on the east side at Morse Creek, five miles east of the summit, and on the west side at the intersection of SR 410 and SR 123.

Though the pass will be open, drivers should be prepared for minor delays. Heavy snow and avalanches over the winter damaged an 84-foot-long section of barrier just east of the summit. For the safety of the traveling public, WSDOT has shifted traffic away from the damaged barrier and restricted traffic to one lane through a 150-foot section of SR 410.

WSDOT crews will repair the barrier when funding is available. Drivers should plan for minor delays through the summer.

WSDOT typically closes Chinook every year in late November due to heavy snowfall, high avalanche risk and hazardous driving conditions. WSDOT, Washington State Patrol and the National Park Service collaborate each spring to reopen both Chinook and Cayuse passes.

Cayuse Pass reopened May 3.

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